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Hey Letterheads! Long time since I've been here! Sold my business a few years ago and now working for another company. So....here I am!
I have a question regarding plexiglass. What cleaners do you use for cleaning plexi before and after flamming edges so there is no cracking for spider cracks?
-------------------- Ottawa Custom Signs Stittsville, Ontario Posts: 346 | From: Stittsville, ON | Registered: Dec 1998
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flame the edges always makes stress within,, minute cracks will start and often jump to huge cracks after using alcohol cleaners..
-------------------- Leaper of Tall buildings.. If you find my posts divisive or otherwise snarky please ignore them. If you do not know how then PM me about it and I will demonstrate. Posts: 5274 | From: Im a nowhere man | Registered: Jul 2001
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I use knoe cleaners. I make sure I have the acrylic as smooth as I can possible get first with emery cloth and water. Then the way I have stopped the fine stress cracks is with the heat. I used to just use a propane torch and usually had fine stress cracks. Now I only use Mapp Gas it is hotter and crack are a thing of the past.
-------------------- Sam Staffan Mackinaw Art & Sign 721 S. Nokomis St. Mackinaw City, MI dstaffan@sbcglobal.net Posts: 1694 | From: Mackinaw City, MI | Registered: Mar 2004
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Several years ago, I screen printed plex panels for a company that made display racks for International Dinnerware. They used a hydrogen flame to polish the edges, told me it was the best way to go. I never saw any cracks in the material.
-------------------- Donald Miner ABCO Wholesale Neon 1168 Red Hill Creek Dobson, NC Posts: 842 | From: North Carolina | Registered: Apr 2006
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So if you are drilling holes in the plex, do you drill them before or after you flame the edges?
-------------------- Nikki Goral Image Advantage Signs 4050 Champeau Road New Franken, WI 54229 920-465-4500 "Finish every day and be done with it. Tomorrow is a new day."-Ralph Waldo Emerson Posts: 928 | From: New Franken, WI (East Green Bay) | Registered: Jun 2007
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Also, does anyone anneal the panels prior to flaming and drilling? My husband feels we should anneal them (heat them slowly over a period of days) before we flame them and drill them. In 23 years of this, I have never annealed panels...
-------------------- Nikki Goral Image Advantage Signs 4050 Champeau Road New Franken, WI 54229 920-465-4500 "Finish every day and be done with it. Tomorrow is a new day."-Ralph Waldo Emerson Posts: 928 | From: New Franken, WI (East Green Bay) | Registered: Jun 2007
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So....here I am! 
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